Collide
by daerwen
Summary: Though God he is not, The Man in the Moon was powerful and full of knowledge, and every once in a while, he wove a new destiny that would change the course of the future, one small soul at a time. Alley Pritchard never saw herself as a protector, but fate was a funny thing. And it sure had a lot in store for her that would make for a good story to tell someday. Jack/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Greetings, Rise of the Guardians fans!**

**This isn't the first story I've ever written, though on this site it's the only one I'm currently going to have. I am a little rusty and I've never written a ROTG fic, so I guess in that respect it's my first. I actually only recently saw Rise of the Guardians for the first time and, naturally, I loved everything about it. Jack is my favorite character, I love how dynamic he is and I feel like there's so much more to him than the movie let on. I've had this idea swarming around in my head for a while so I decided to go out on a limb and write it. I haven't read much ROTG fanfiction, so hopefully I get all the characters down right and can make you guys proud.**

**Please review? It helps me out a lot and I want to know if this story is worth continuing. Thanks and happy reading!**

* * *

Prologue

Fate was a funny thing.

It was defined as '_the will or principle or determining cause by which things in general are believed to come to be as they are, or events to happen as they do._'

Some say fate was nothing but what you made for yourself. All that you did, all the choices you made, were what lead you to your destiny and you yourself had the power to choose whichever destiny you wanted. Each person had their own paths to choose from, and each path lead to a different outcome. There wasn't a right or wrong choice, simply a different one for every route. Humans were interesting creatures; exceptional, prevailing, and dominant. They had their own free will to choose which path to tread without being swayed one direction or another.

At least, that's what some _said_.

In truth, that's not always the case.

In Greek Mythology, the web of life, for centuries to come, has been spun carefully and with tact. Each thread has been woven and twirled to fit the wills of three very important goddesses known as The Moirai, or The Fates. Clotho, the spinner, created the strand. Lachesis, the allotter, measured the length of the strand. And Atropos, the inevitable, sheared the strand.

The three high-honored goddesses sang what were, what are, and what are to be. Those three and those three alone decided the fate of every man.

Until, that is, The Man in the Moon came to be.

A guardian of sorts, The Man in the Moon took a little twist on The Fates and plotted his own course of destinies. He believed that some were greater than others and their strands were to be spun differently. Though shorter strands they sometimes may be, their destinies were centered in their afterlife rather than the living world where they could flourish and grow as he needed them to.

He wanted to create a guardian for every child's most treasured fantasy; to bring the stories they were told to life. For he, The Man in the Moon, treasured youth and believed that humans were their strongest and most influential in childhood. And he felt their childhoods were worth protecting.

Though God he is not, The Man in the Moon was powerful and full of knowledge, and every once in a while, he wove a new destiny that would change the course of the future, one small soul at a time.

* * *

Alley Pritchard was a force to be reckoned with. Blind in her fury, she howled a battle cry and launched herself at her persecutor. Limbs flailing wildly, a growled emitted from her throat as she fought for what was hers. And she fought valiantly. Let this be a valuable lesson to those who oppressed her. She was determined, courageous, spiteful, resilient, and—

"—short! God Alley, you're _so_ short," a boy not much older than Alley herself laughed, holding a grey beanie above his head with an amused smirk.

Alley ceased her jumping and huffed, glaring up at him with a vengeance. "Sam, why are you such an asshole?"

The aforementioned Sam shrugged and toyed with her beanie, still holding it out of her reach. "What are brothers for?"

"I've been asking myself that for the past seventeen years," she bit back. She tried snatching the beanie quick but he jerked out of the way again with ease, laughing at her misfortune.

"You're just so short, it's hilarious. That's what sisters are for, giving me something to do while I'm bored," Sam grinned.

Alley rolled her eyes. "Come on, Sam, I'm gonna be late for class. And don't you have college to go to or something? Isn't that what nineteen year olds do? Shouldn't you be a sophomore by now?"

Sam mimicked her expression. "Whatever, Miss Goody-Two-Shoes."

Alley finally caught him off guard and stole her beanie back, grinning broadly in triumph. Placing it back on her head to hide the frizzy brown curls, she began walking through the house, grabbing her bag and car keys as she went. "Just because I value my education doesn't mean I'm a _Goody-Two-Shoes_. Besides, it's high school, I _have_ to go."

"Yeah well classes don't start for another forty-five minutes, so you aren't even late, overachiever," he mocked, trailing after her.

Alley reached the door and paused with her hand curled around the handle. "Maybe you wouldn't be bored if you actually had places to go, underachiever."

With that, she strolled out the door and could practically feel him roll his eyes behind her before she closed and locked it.

Despite her brother's belief, Alley wasn't a Goody-Two-Shoes. Well, she wasn't exactly a rebel without a cause either, but what was the big deal if she liked high school? It didn't mean she was an honor roll student next in line for valedictorian or something. She just loved to learn.

Sam Pritchard might as well have been the polar opposite of her. Most brothers and sisters usually were, but Sam had a knack for getting himself into trouble and being generally lazy about everything. He almost flunked out of high school and Alley wasn't really sure if it was because he was just really bad at academics or if it was because he caused so much trouble his teachers were out to get him.

Actually, that's probably the only reason he graduated. They didn't want to have to deal with him another year.

Don't get her wrong, she loved her brother. It's not like she blindly insulted him whenever she felt the urge. He was just able to get a rise out of her better than anyone else, mostly because he made it seem as though it was his duty to rain on her parade whenever she was around. But like he said, what were brothers for?

As for the leaving early part, well, who could blame Alley for wanting to enjoy some peace and quiet before class? She wasn't exactly an early riser, but she liked taking the time to sit down and read before school and she couldn't exactly do that when her brother was up her ass 24/7. It's like the boy never slept.

Putting the car in reverse, Alley backed out of her driver and made her way down the paved road, careful not to speed as winter was quickly approaching and the roads were _wet_.

Curling the scarf tighter around her neck, Alley reached over to turn the heater on as she drove before hypothermia started to set in. Checking the clock, it read 6:49am which meant classes didn't start for another forty minutes.

A few minutes into the drive and Alley began to see more cars on the road, either making their way to work or driving their kids to school. She didn't grow up in a large city, so traffic usually wasn't a big deal, but it wasn't exactly small, either. Mondays were usually the busiest in the mornings because families decided to take weekend vacations and were just returning, or some people were late having slept in – depending on how early they worked and how far it was.

_Should've had coffee before leaving,_ she thought grimly. By the time second period came around she'd probably be forcing herself to stay awake.

Turning onto a different road, this one much more narrow and winding, she checked the time again. 6:56am. Luckily her school was only about a ten minute drive from her house.

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a coffee tumbler in the passenger side door and grinned. _Cold or not, I'll take it._ She gleefully leaned over to grab it and in the midst of doing so, her foot pressed harder on the gas just as her car was going around a bend. The car swerved a bit as she tried to steady the steering wheel and she gasped, quickly straightening herself to slow down but just as her foot let off the gas, the car veered to the side at a frightening speed, skidding as the tires locked.

_Black ice,_ she thought fearfully. She tried turning the wheel the opposite way to hopefully steer her back on course but the icy cement was relentless as the car picked up speed.

Alley's heart raced and she gripped the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white. She didn't know what to do. The car was completely out of her control. She tried reading through her driving manual in her mind, knowing it said something about black ice and what it advised to do if she ever got into a situation like it. She knew slamming on the breaks was the last thing she should do, but her brain was drawing a blank. In her panic, she couldn't think straight and tears burned her eyes.

The back of the car reached a steep embankment as the tires meet soggy, icy mud instead of slick pavement. The change in friction caused the car to jolt and lift and Alley screamed, eyes blurry as the tears escaped. Her vision impaired – though probably for the best – she saw a whirlwind of color as the vehicle flipped and for a moment she was air born. Her heart jumped into her throat as she rose out of her seat, though her seatbelt held true and kept her firmly in place.

It happened in the blink of an eye, though for Alley, whose throat was raw from the brutal screams, it felt like an eternity. For a split second, it was like time froze and her breath stopped short. While her mind was still blank and the air was silent, her eyes saw images of her family like projections on a silver screen. One moment it was there, the next it wasn't, but she saw every detail and little did she know that image would haunt her long after her time in this world was spent.

Alley's ears began to ring as reality caught back up to her and that's when she felt the landing. An ear-piercing clang of metal whining against the force of the crash deafened her ears and they began to ring harder. Her neck was stretched and jerked forward from the vigor and she saw stars before she saw nothing at all.

There was one last pang in her forehead that overwhelmed her for an instant before she didn't feel anything.

And for a second, Alley Pritchard was no more.

* * *

You know that space between being awake and being asleep? That moment when you feel like you're about to wake up, but haven't quite gotten there yet? That's where Alley felt like she was.

Any second now she expected something to happen – anything at all – but nothing did. Instead, she saw herself in the woods. It wasn't an area she recognized. She didn't know if it was a real place or if her mind just created it on the spot.

She felt herself walking, though where she was going she didn't know. It was better than standing still. She felt like she needed to move. She hadn't forgotten about the accident, but thinking back to it, it was like looking through a film. Like it was being played back through an old TV. She knew what happened, yet her mind really hadn't caught up to the fact that she didn't know where she was going to go next.

She was just walking through the woods. It almost felt normal, but she still didn't recognize where she was.

She felt herself look up at the sky. Misty clouds covered the black abyss, but small sparks of light were still shining through, only slightly dimmed by the obstruction. To her left the moon was glowing brightly, lighting up her path before her. Under normal circumstances, it would've given her an eerie feeling, but for some reason she wasn't scared.

Alley found herself drawn to the moon and hardly realized she was still walking. Her eyes glazed over as she stared, focusing in on its every detail – the dark craters, the rigid surface, the specks and flecks and imperfections that emphasized its exterior.

She stared for so long and so hard that she felt if she reached her hand up, she could take it right out of the sky.

There was a low humming in the back of her head and she narrowed her eyes, trying to understand what the sound meant but at the same time never tearing her gaze from the moon. For whatever reason, she felt like she needed to watch it.

And that's when her chest began to tingle. It wasn't painful, just a little uncomfortable. There was a warmness that settled in her ribcage and after a while, it became too distracting and she had to look down at herself, checking for any lacerations or some cause of it. There was nothing there, yet the pain continued on for a little longer before it extended outward to her arms.

Alley felt like maybe she should panic, but she couldn't bring herself to. Something was forcing her to remain calm and that worried her even more but it sort of didn't at the same time and that was really infuriating.

The warmth tingled all the way to the tips of her fingers before spreading downward to her legs and just as it reached her feet, she gasped and her first impulse was to look back up at the moon as if it were the source. The hum grew louder in her ears and for a second, the moon shone brighter, nearly making her squint before everything around her went dark.

* * *

The first thing Alley did when she came to was groan. Her head was throbbing and she could feel her heart beating in her ears, making it feel like it was going to explode.

"Oh God," she moaned, sitting up slowly as she cradled her head. "I feel like I got hit by a bus."

After a few moments of just taking the pain, she finally blinked her eyes open. It took a second for her eyes to adjust and when they did, she realized she was lying in the middle of the road, the melting ice soaking through her jeans as the cold finally registered.

"Jesus," she gasped and wheezed as she forced herself upright, trying to steady herself as her knees threated to give out beneath the sudden weight. Swallowing, her squeezed her eyes tight as if that would somehow pacify her head before opening them again and taking in her surroundings.

It took a second to recognize where she was. She stood in the middle of a long, winding road that nearly made her dizzy the longer she looked at it. Snow covered the ground on each side and the familiarity rang like a bell inside her. _This is the way to school,_ she thought, puzzled.

Like a tsunamic, the memories came rushing back to her like waves and she reeled back from the impact. Her brother taunting her, the drive to class, swerving on the black ice...

"I should be dead," she murmured, incredulous. She quickly turned from side to side, looking for any signs of the wreckage, but there was nothing to be found. It was just a normal road, like it hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary. "What—" she cut herself off and eyed each end of the road before turning to the right and walking towards the school.

The further she got, the less likely it seemed that she would find anything useful. "It's like it never happened," Alley told herself. She scoured every inch of the road, walking to the edge of both sides to glance down the embankment. Nothing.

She hugged herself, shivering as her teeth chattered. She could see her breath fogging up in front of her. It felt colder than the last time she was here. Actually, she didn't even remember seeing snow.

"Weird," she mumbled. Holding her jacket tight against her, she began walking again, this time in the opposite direction. Home. She needed to talk to her parents. She needed to somehow explain that she got into a car accident, but the car was now missing and she was completely unscathed.

"That'll make for an interesting bedtime story," she rolled her eyes. Was she crazy for talking to herself? Maybe she did hit her head pretty hard. Maybe she had a concussion. For all she knew, she was hallucinating. "Look mom and dad, aren't you so proud?" If one thing was for certain, she still had her sarcasm and quick wit. "What would I do without you?"

It took a lot longer than she expected before she finally reached civilization again. For some reason, it was like it took longer on foot. "My feet," she moaned, stomping them on the icy ground as she passed her neighborhood street sign. Nothing had alerted her to a car accident on her way back, either.

At last, she came across a familiar sight. There was no car in the driveway, which meant her dad was still at work. He was in for a real surprise when he got home.

Alley trudged her way up the path to the front door, noticing the snow shoveled out of the way. She furrowed her eyebrows. _Mom must've done that pretty fast._

Unconsciously, she went for the bag strapped to her side, only to discover it wasn't there. "Great," she rolled her eyes again and knocked. She waited for a second, arms crossed over her chest as she thought over a good explanation as to why she was home so early and why she arrived without a car. _Sam will never let me hear the end of this,_ she dreaded.

A few seconds later and no one came to the door. She humph'd and knocked again, this time a little harder. She peeked in through the corner window and saw movement, but nothing that suggested they were heading for the door.

"Mom! Sam!" she shouted. "It's me, Alley! Open the door!" A pause. Nothing. "_Mom!_" Again, nothing.

She tossed her arms up in frustration and turned to face the driveway. It had also been shoveled perfectly. Scrunching her nose, she sniffed and headed around the front and to the back gate. She jiggled the knob without much force, unsurprised that it was locked. Maybe she could jump it and go in through the back door? It was likely locked as well, but maybe she could get someone's attention that way.

With a grunt, she thrust herself over the gate without much grace, clobbering and slamming into the thing and probably alerting the whole neighborhood she was there. "They're gonna think I'm so pathetic, breaking into my own home," she scoffed. She finally landed on the other side and heaved a sigh before making her way down the side of the house and into the backyard.

It wasn't much, but it was quaint. It held a small patio with nice furniture for a deck and a grill off to the side next to some shrubbery. Alley dragged herself up the patio, ducking out of the way of the potted plants hanging from above and wiped her snow-covered shoes on the rug before the sliding glass door.

She knocked, this time sounding louder as it was on wide glass and she waited with baited breath. She noticed a figure round the corner into the living room and her face lit up. Her nose was froze and numb to the touch; she couldn't wait to get inside and warm up.

It was her mother and she waved at the woman, but she never looked up. Alley scowled and knocked again, but received no response. She watched as her mother made the rounds in the kitchen, tidying up the island and scrubbing some dishes. After drying her hands, she walked up to the table next to the back door, standing so close to Alley who knocked again, and when she looked up, Alley's eyes met hers and she cracked a half smile, only to feel as though instead of looking at her, her mother was looking right through her.

Alley couldn't read the look in her eyes, but something wasn't right. Her eyes weren't as bright as they usually were. They used to be so vibrant, so green, but instead they looked washed out and grey. The color seemed to have drained from her cheeks and that spark that was usually there was gone.

"Mom?" Alley called out quietly. Her mother glanced up and reached upward before pulling the blinds closed and she disappeared from sight.

Alley was stunned. She was hurt, confused, and cold. She shivered again and felt tears prickle at her eyes, but they never fell. With her head downcast, Alley slowly made her way back out into the yard, this time without much purpose in her step. Blindly, she found her way back to the gate and stared at the chipped, discolored wood before summoning up the energy to climb back over it. This time she didn't care how much noise she made.

That is, if anyone could actually hear it.

Her shoulders slumped as she walked back around the front of the house, not realizing that as she made her away across the snow, she didn't leave any footprints behind.

Alley stopped at the edge of her driveway and sighed. Why couldn't her mom see her? The way she looked at her, the way it felt when she saw right through her, it felt as though her gaze pierced her heart. How could something so little, something as nonexistent as a look, feel so tangible and cause so much pain?

"Why can't she see me?" Alley asked herself again. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach, something that weighed her down and made her insides feel like lead. She didn't want to think about what that feeling was without fear of turning her insides into outsides. It couldn't be.

Her bottom lip quivered and again she had the sense that she was going to cry, but never actually did. She took a step forward, not quite sure where she was headed next, but that wasn't really a problem anymore because she slammed into something hard and yelped.

"What the—" she heard someone say as she planted, rear end first, on the cold, hard ground.

Alley wheezed and moaned pitifully, cringing. Through half-lidded eyes, she peeked up at whoever she managed to run into and saw a lanky boy with hair as bright as snow staring down at her with widened blue eyes.

"How did you do that?" he asked, voice low and disbelieving, but he spoke as if his question wasn't directed to her, like he didn't mean for her to hear it.

"I'm sorry," she replied meekly, twisting a bit in her spot to try and stand.

"_What?_" he breathed, so shocked at her words that it alarmed her. She finally planted herself on both feet and shifted under his incredulous gaze.

"I'm sorry," she said again, feeling uncomfortable. "I didn't mean to run into you, but in my defense you were in _my_ driveway. What were you—"

"You can see me?" he whispered. "You can _touch_ me?"

Never had she seen such a mix of fright and excitement on a boy's face. His white hair seemed to almost glow as it ruffled in the chilled wind and his pale features were illuminated by both his hair and the glowing snow beneath his bare feet. He looked almost angelic. The staff he clutched in his hand seemed to be the only thing keeping him upright and as he gripped it harder, a streak of pale blue frost shot up the base and Alley's eyes widened to match his and that sinking feeling returned.

Something told her running into this guy was going to change everything.


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm surprised I got this chapter out so fast. I've got so much inspiration for this story that I can't stop writing it. I don't mean for anything in this chapter to seem rushed or skipped over. There is a part (an important part) that I somewhat skipped over but that's only because I'm saving it for later.**

**Thanks for the reviews and favorites! They really mean a lot. Please keep letting me know what you think, feedback always helps fuel the inspiration :)  
**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_"I try, but it's so hard to believe_

_I try, but it's so hard to see what you see_

_I try, I try"_

* * *

Thin Air

"I don't understand," Ali shook her head. Her brain was all messed up from the accident. It was causing her to see things. _I knew I was hallucinating,_ she thought resentfully.

"You're not supposed to be able to see me, or feel me, or even know I'm here," the boy paced in front of her, eyebrows furrowed, his long legs gracefully gliding over the frost. He paused to look at her, eyes narrowed. "You're not even a kid."

Ali was confused. "What does my age have to do with it?" she asked. "Why does that matter?"

The boy seemed to have been thrown for a loop, as if he'd never considered a notion like that. "I guess that's a good question," he admitted, somewhat to himself. Slim, pastel fingers absentmindedly pulled at his bottom lip and he looked deep in thought. "I still don't get why you can see me," he continued. His snowy white hair swayed in the wintery breeze, causing it to stick up at odd ends and look even more disheveled than before. "Do you know who I am?" There was an accusatory tone to his voice.

Ali scrunched her face up. "No, I just met you."

"This doesn't make any sense."

Ali shook her head again, feeling exhaustion well up inside her. The day was really taking its toll. "I really don't have time for this right now. I'm sorry but I have my own problems to deal with," she made to turn around but stopped herself and glanced back at him. "You should really put some shoes on," she said. "You're gonna get frostbite."

Something about what she said must've amused him because his lips quirked up at the side, if only the faintest bit, and he gave a somewhat half shrug. "The cold doesn't really bother me."

Unconsciously she pulled her jacket closer and shook. That wind really was jarring her to the core. "Lucky you," she murmured. Without meaning to she cast her gaze down at the glittery snow beneath her. As a kid, she loved playing in the snow. It was always one of her fondest memories, whenever winter would come. It was a time of joy and family. A white Christmas. It was hard to believe that something so treasured, so special, could be shattered in the blink of an eye.

"Is everything okay?" the boy's voice broke through her thoughts, and for a second she was grateful for it.

"I don't know," was her answer.

"I'm gonna need a little more to go on," he replied. She couldn't tell if he was using mockery or not.

"Wait, I just met you," Ali countered.

The boy deadpanned, "I'm having a weird sense of déjà vu." This time the sarcasm was unmistakable.

Who did he think he was? What gave him the right to act so snippy? "I don't even know who you are," she said, the anger bubbling up inside her as she pointed an accusing finger at him. "I don't know what's going on. The last thing I want is to spill my guts to a stranger."

"Yeah well the way I see it, I'm kind of involved now," he retorted, just as angry. The scowl on his face really didn't suit him. His once smooth, angelic face turned sour. Darker. "For some reason you're able to see me when you're not supposed to so excuse me if I feel a little suspicious."

Ali threw her hands up "Why is seeing and not being able to see each other a thing? Why is that an issue?"

"It wasn't until _now_."

"First my mom's not able to see me when she should and then I'm able to see you when I shouldn't," she laughed sardonically and the wind carried it with a hint of malice. "I must've hit my head pretty damn hard because I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone."

"Wait, wait, wait—" the boy stuttered halfway through her tirade. He had that shocked look on his face again and all traces of anger vanished. "What do you mean your mom can't see you?"

"I mean exactly what I said!" Ali shouted, aggravated that she had to say it out loud again. The more she said it, the more real it felt. "She can't see me. I tried making her see me, I tried getting her attention, but all she did was look right through me." Ali choked a little. The words caught in her throat and her tongue ran dry after they were spoken.

The boy stared at her with an expression she couldn't read. It was a mix between apprehension, confusion, and maybe a little sorrow? There was that heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach again.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I think we have a problem," he said. That didn't sound ominous and foreboding at all.

Ali shrieked and pulled at her frizzy brown hair, not realizing nor caring that her grey beanie was nowhere to be seen. "God, I just want to go home," she wailed. Her eyes burned again but not a single teardrop was shed and that left her feeling so incomplete. All she wanted to do was cry. "Why can't I just go home?"

"What's your name?"

The question took her aback. "Excuse me?"

He sighed impatiently and something in his blue eyes ignited. "All I'm asking for is your name."

"Ali," she finally said.

"Listen to me Ali," the boy held his hands up as if to both pacify her and somehow make her understand. "You're gonna have to trust me here. We need to go talk to someone."

Certainly she heard him wrong. "I'm not going anywhere with you," she countered without hesitation.

"Please, you don't understand," he begged, taking a step towards her but keeping a safe distance as to not spook her. "This is really important."

His eyes shifted from left to right like he was afraid something was going to jump out and attack him. "No, are you crazy?" She couldn't believe the gall. "I don't know who you are, I don't know where you're going to take me or what you want to do with me—"

"I'm not going to hurt you, I swear," he interrupted, eyes pleading. "I just need you to come with me."

"Why is this happening to me? What God did I piss off? Is this about that black cat I saw at Petsmart? I knew he was looking at me funny—"

"Ali!" she jumped. His patience was wearing thin again and his fingertips sparked a pale blue. She didn't have time consider it. "I know you're having a moment and I will _gladly_ let you continue it after you come with me."

"Didn't we already go through this?" she hissed.

"Do you want answers?" he raised his voice a bit. The fierceness behind it caused her to snap her mouth shut. "Do you want to know what's happening to you? I know someone who can help. I know it's not easy going on blind faith, but I'm asking you to try and pull a little belief out of thin air here. Trust me," he implored. "I won't lay a finger on you."

She eyed him warily. So many emotions swirled in those crystal blue eyes of his, she couldn't keep up with them all. They were glossy and she could nearly see her own reflection in them.

"Please, just come. Unless you prefer wandering around in a world where you have no one."

Ali bit her lip. Something about what he said struck a chord inside her. For someone so young, he sounded like he knew what he was talking about. Yet another unsettling thing about her situation.

She turned on her heels to glance dejectedly back at her house. The snow was falling elegantly around it, creating soft blankets and cradling it as if to give it protection. Part of her really didn't want to leave. She didn't know when she'd see her family again. She didn't know if it was a trap; if this guy wanted to hurt her, though against her own judgment her heart was telling her he had no intentions of doing so. He had an air of security, like being with him would somehow keep her safe.

She needed answers. She wanted to know why her mother couldn't see her. She wanted to know what happened to her car, why she was feeling so strange. She needed to pull a little belief out of thin air.

Sighing, her lips sank into a thin line and she turned back to face him. He looked hopeful, clutching the staff tightly in his pale hands, though it didn't seem his knuckles could get any whiter.

Her voice was quiet, "Can you at least tell me your name?"

He seemed to relax at the question and, despite the circumstances, that half smile returned. "Jack," he said easily. "It's Jack."

Reaching into his pants pocket, _Jack_ pulled out a small object. It looked like a miniature snow globe but with a lack of, well, _snow_ inside it. When he held out his palm, it expanded. Ali's eyes widened. "How'd you do that?" she asked immediately.

"Magic," Jack smirked slightly at her before concentrating on the luminescent globe. "The North Pole!" he shouted before tossing the globe. And as if it hit some invisible force field, the globe exploded into an array of color, forming some sort of round portal. The hairs on Ali's arms stood on end and she jumped back, startled.

"That didn't just happen," she murmured. She looked around warily, wondering if anyone saw. She could feel the disturbance in the air as the portal floated portentously in front of them but nothing around her had changed. If anyone had been around, they certainly wouldn't have noticed. Then something clicked. "Wait, _The North Pole_?" she exclaimed. "Why are we going _there_? It's just going to be even colder than it already is here!"

"Thank God," Jack rolled his eyes as he straightened his blue hoodie. "I'm starting to sweat over here."

"Are you insane?" she asked rhetorically, eyes squinting. Then as an afterthought, "Am I insane?"

"Just come on," he rolled his eyes again. She had a feeling that was going to be a common exchange between the two of them.

"I'm not getting in that thing," she shook her head, eyeballing him like he asked her to jump off a cliff.

"How else do you plan on getting there?"

She sputtered, "Well, I don't know! But how do I know it's safe?"

"You don't, but I do," Jack pointedly said. He reached across to her and she squinted again.

"You said you wouldn't lay a hand on me."

"I'm not _laying_ a hand on you, I'm _offering_ a hand to you. It's your choice whether or not you wish to _take_ it."

"God," she whined, hesitating. "Please let this be painless, I get motion sickness."

Jack made a face. "If you puke on me, I'll throw you right back through this thing," he warned.

Groaning nervously, she slowly placed her hand in his, startled for a moment at the drastic temperature change between his skin and hers. His fingers gripped her hand tight and with what Ali assumed was a reassuring look, Jack pounced and Ali was reluctantly pulled along with him for the ride.

* * *

Ali felt herself being tugged every way possible, stretching like a rubber band, as strobe light after strobe light distorted her vision. Her insides hummed, like vibrations were being coursed through her bloodstream, and she barely registered Jack's hand pulling her closer to him as a burst of light blinded her.

With a shriek, Ali felt the humming subside and next thing she knew, she was landing on something hard and she grunted.

"Oh,_ mercy!_" someone yelled, startled.

She breathed heavily, not bothering to move in case her stomach decided to spill whatever it had left inside it. Her head was spinning and after a moment of recovery she rolled onto her back, carefully opening her eyes to a fuzzy, high, wooden ceiling that had yet to come into focus.

"Jack!" that same voice exclaimed. It didn't sound pleased. There was silence before her presence was registered. "Why you bring human here?" Male, she recognized; a Russian infliction coating his words.

Blinking away the black specks that covered her vision, she winced and slowly sat upright, heaving a sigh before glaring over at the white-haired boy who looked torn between providing an explanation to the older male and checking to see if she was okay.

"You told me I wouldn't get hurt!" she growled, slamming her palm against the soft wooden panels beneath her as she pushed herself up, stumbling a bit as vertigo hit her like a ton of bricks.

"I said _I_ wouldn't, I said nothing about the landing." She wanted to slap the smug look right off his face but she got distracted by a very large, very furry creature staring directly at her not ten feet away. She was paralyzed and she opened her mouth to speak, but the only intelligible thing to escape was a squeak. She heard a soft chuckle close to her ear and her spine tingled. "Don't suppose you've met a yeti before?" Jack taunted.

"Unfortunately our zoo is fresh out yetis," she snapped, not taking her eyes off the animal.

"Do not be so easily frightened," the Russian man suggested. She could hear his heavy footsteps as he approached. "Zhey do not eat human. Not recently, anyway."

Ali finally turned to match a face to the voice and she did a double take at the very large beard he adorned, whiter than Jack's hair. He had a kind face, though it borderlined intimidating as his blue eyes flashed dangerously in Jack's direction. His arms were crossed over his immense chest, stomach bulging beneath his decorated forearms that read 'Naughty' and 'Nice' respectively in neat calligraphy.

This wasn't happening.

"Care to explain?" he gestured towards Ali who felt as though she were going through some sort of midlife crisis early.

Jack faltered for a second. "Well, I don't exactly think I can," he started, rubbing the back of his neck as he glanced sheepishly up at the man. "But I know one thing's for sure," he paused, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye before staring meaningfully back at him. "She's one of us."

The older man was stunned and the room seemed to drop a few degrees, despite the roaring fireplace that stood magnificently adjacent from them. Jack must've been ecstatic.

"I—I'm sorry," Ali stuttered meekly, trying to slither her way into the conversation. "I'm a who?"

The older man jumped, as if being shaken out of some sort of trance, and turned to face her promptly. "My apologies!" he shouted. "You must think of me so rude. Ze name is North," he announced proudly. Jack jabbed his thumb in the older man's direction and mouthed 'Santa Claus' with another smirk. Ali didn't know how to respond. "Vhat is yours, young lady?"

"Um," she swallowed. It took her a second to remember. "Ali."

"Please, Ali, have a seat. Give me quick moment," he led her with a beefy hand on her shoulder to an elegant chair near a grand desk and motioned for her to sit. She did so without question. North smiled gently at her before marching over to Jack and pulling him by his hoodie out of earshot, exchanging harsh whispers with animated hand-flailing.

Before Ali really had a chance to get a grip on her thoughts, North returned to her with another smile. "We will have guests," he informed her, but her brain was too scrambled to really take anything else in. "I apologize for intrusion, but unfortunately I am not one who has all ze answers."

Ali didn't really know what to say so she didn't bother trying. She crossed her arms tightly over her chest and fiddled with a loose string on her jacket sleeve. Out of her peripheral, she spotted Jack making his way towards her, smirk nowhere to be seen. He cast her a sympathetic look.

"You doing alright?" he asked. "I know it's a lot to take it," he seemed a little apologetic.

"I'll let you know in a minute," she said, huffing a sort of laugh that wasn't all that genuine but it made Jack chuckle nonetheless.

There was a calmness after that and it allowed her to breathe for a minute and organize her thoughts. _So I met a weird boy that's somehow unaffected by the cold,_ she began. _He took me through a magic portal that led me to The North Pole and I just met Santa Claus,_ she laughed manically inside her head. _I'm not crazy at_ all.

There was a loud grunt that made her jump a little and she turned to face the yeti that jerked its head to glare at her the second she laid eyes on it and immediately after she looked away. _Also yetis are fun,_ her eyes rolled.

Ali remained calm, though. Calm, cool, and collected.

That is, until a whirlwind of figures suddenly materialized into the room as if they'd been called and Ali hauled ass across the room, placing herself against the wall at the abrupt invasion, heart pounding. How many lives had she lost today? Surely she couldn't have many left.

Jack had an arm outstretched in her direction as if to placate her but he wasn't looking anywhere near her, and when she allowed her eyes to take in the new arrivals, they almost popped out of her skull.

"That's a rabbit," she whispered, eyes wide and face drained of color. "It's standing up. It's bigger than me," her voice trembled. Sure enough, not five feet away stood a large, grey rabbit, standing erect on its hind legs with ears the length of her forearm and a large face that somehow conveyed indignance.

Alongside the animal fluttered a very colorful, very beautiful creature, wings keeping her upright with elegance and grace. She reminded Ali of a peacock—the bright, teal feathers shimmering vibrantly. Her face appeared slightly human, if not somewhat otherworldly with more feathers decorating her crown and cheeks slender and sharp.

To her right sat a golden man, glittering like he was made of royal sand with wiry hair and a cloak of the same gilded hue. He was so small, his head barely reached the rabbit's torso but he smiled so brightly his soul was surely greater than all the rest.

"Ali, please meet come meet my friends," North held out a hand and gestured her over. She would've much preferred stayed glued against the wall, thank you very much, but her mind seemed to be on autopilot and took whatever command it was given much to her frustration.

"Let me introduce to you E. Aster Bunnymund," North shouted jovially and the rabbit's ears perked up, though he seemed bemused by the introduction. "Otherwise known as ze Easter Bunny," Ali's ears rang. "Tooth," North bowed to the colorful fairy who smiled gently at Ali and waved. "You may recognize her as Tooth Fairy," North winked. "And last but certainly not ze least, Sandy."

The golden sandman's eyes lit up and he raised his tiny arms as small smiley faces appeared over his head in sparkling sand.

There was a silence and Ali looked from each creature, staring with equal shock at each, and realized they were expecting her to say something.

"Hi," she uttered. All of her childhood stories were coming to life right before her very eyes and she didn't have the faintest clue of how to respond to something like that. She'd gone way beyond the thought of hallucinations or post-traumatic stress. This was something surpassing her wildest dreams, beyond anything her imagination could dredge up out of the blue. The question was...

"Why are you here?" Ali asked. If they existed before, why hadn't she seen them?

"Ve are Guardians," North announced, with a capital G. "Our job is to protect children, and by doing so, ve are vhat ve are because zhey believe in us. It keeps us strong," he clenched his fist. "It keeps us grounded, and so long as zhey believe in us, ve vill be there for them for as long as zhey need us."

The child in Ali wanted to jump for joy—scream at the top of its lungs and throw its hands up in the air with rejoice. But that alone spoke volumes to her.

"But I'm not a child," her eyebrows furrowed, remembering Jack's earlier words. The aforementioned boy was standing to her left, arms crossed, staff held with ease in one of his hands as he watched her. She couldn't tell if the caution on his soft face was more for her benefit – making sure she was taking everything in alright – or for everyone else's – in case she decided to have an episode and breakdown, overwhelmed.

A thought occurred to her. "Who does that make you?" she asked Jack.

He uncrossed his arms and twirled the staff in his hand, eyes glowing with pride and mirth. "I'm Jack Frost."

Naturally.

Ali shook her head. "There's no reason I should be able to see you," she continued. "And no offense intended but before today I didn't believe in any you."

North's once jovial expression sank into a more solemn one and she had a feeling every heavy and sinking sensation, every bad feeling she'd been having, all of it had led up to this moment.

* * *

Ali's lip quivered as her eyes and nose burned, North's sympathetic gaze blurring. She couldn't tell if this attempt at crying was from anger or sadness. Probably a mix of both.

"You mean to say," her voice trembled as she spoke, "that I lost my life – my family and my friends – to this... _afterlife_ of being a guardian with a bunch of fairy tales?" No one said anything and she took the silence as her queue to continue, hands shaking. "Do I even get a say?"

"You were chosen—"

"Don't give me any of that 'chosen' bullshit!" She interrupted North and he seemed taken aback by her words, though didn't attempt to chastise her for them. "Don't expect me to take pride in the fact that some unknown force decided to _rip_ me away from my world so I could protect everyone else's," She paused, biting back a sob. "I'm sorry if I sound selfish but the people that raised me, the people I knew and the people that have beenthere for me... _those_ are the ones that matter, _those_ are the ones I care about. No one else."

Ali swallowed thickly and sniffed. Her eyes closed and she shook her head, bowing it and finally, finally allowed herself to cry. The thought of never seeing them again hurt more than words could describe. She didn't know what was worse: knowing she'd never see them again, or knowing that if she were to somehow cross their path one day, they would never see her.

"The Man in the Moon works in mysterious ways," Tooth said gently, wings fluttering as she moved closer, though stopped herself before coming too close. "I know it's not of comfort now, but he must've chosen you for a reason. He must've seen something in you that he saw in no one else."

Tooth sighed, eyes glossy and downcast. "I know you don't see it now, but someday you will."

Ali sniffed again, gazing down at the wooden floors beneath her, glowing warm in the fireplace's wake. She could feel her face scrunched up in some sort of expression she couldn't describe. Their words left bitter tastes her mouth and for a moment she wondered if she would throw up.

"I am sorry for pain," said North. "I know you feel world is against you. But we are here for you, as we are for each other; as we always have been and as we always will be."

'_Til death do us part,_ she thought resentfully. _Only, not really._

Shaking her head one last time, Ali finally lifted her head and set North with a level glare, feeling the hatred burn her tongue as she hissed, "I'd rather be dead."

Without another glance, without hearing another word, Ali turned on her heels and left the room, walking as fast as her feet would carry her.

And the second she turned the corner, out of sight and sound, she collapsed.

* * *

Jack Frost, in the past three centuries of his immortal existence, couldn't say that he related to anyone. He was quite different from everyone he came into contact with. Even the Guardians, with whom he was more alike than possibly any other beings, felt like they were millions of miles away. They may very well have been the ones he was most unlike.

But this girl, this broken girl, he could relate to. As long ago as it was, he could still remember what it felt like to feel truly alone, truly terrified and truly angry, more than anyone else in that room. He knew what it was like to not have answers. He knew what it was like to feel lost; to feel as though he didn't have a purpose.

He spent countless nights begging for answers. He screamed long into the silent, cold dead of night without even knowing who he was trying to scream loud enough for. He wondered what anyone else would: why was he there? And how many years had it taken before he got any answers?

If there was one thing he was still bitter about, it was the fact that the Man in the Moon, the being that had chosen _him_, was never the one to give them.

Whispers filled the room immediately after Ali's exit, but he didn't bother joining in. Instead, he ran a hand through his hair and sighed, long and hard, and thought about going after her. He didn't know what made him think of doing something like that, but for some reason he felt like it was his responsibility to comfort her. Or, at least try to.

Truthfully he was just winging it, but really, he wished he had someone to comfort him when he got the news. The least he could do was give her that.

Jack carefully stepped out of the room, easily escaping unnoticed as no one paid him any mind, and he stopped just outside the doors. The unmistakable sound of whimpering and sniffling hit him like a train and for a second he asked himself what in Manny's name he was doing. But one by one, his feet carried him out into the corridor and lead him to her crumpled form, her shoulders shaking violently as her hair spilled over her face like a curtain.

He cringed. He really wasn't good with upset girls.

Cautiously, Jack kneeled down beside her, a bit awkwardly at first, but upon first sight of her rosy, flush-stained cheeks, his guardian instincts kicked in and he raised a hand to her shoulder and felt himself relax. Rubbing his thumb along the soft material of her sweater, he sighed again.

Surprisingly, as he opened his mouth to let whatever nonsense his brain wanted his tongue to spew, Ali spoke first. "I miss my mom and dad," she sounded so much younger than she was, voice small and wavering. "I miss them _so_ much."

"I know," Jack said quietly.

"I can just picture their faces," she continued, stopping every now and then to sniff. "My mom's bright green eyes, the peach lipstick she always wore and every freckle on her cheeks," a ghost of a smile struck her lips, "My dad's graying hair. He always said it was my fault for growing up. He said it was giving him blue hair," she chuckled slightly and wringed her fingers together. "I remember his reading glasses that he wore even when he wasn't reading. I can still smell his cologne, woodsy and musky," her breathing labored again and she whined, "I wish I'd gotten to see them one last time."

Jack squeezed her shoulder in hopes of giving her some sort of ease. He let her cry a little longer before he decided to speak.

"Over time," he began carefully. "After doing so many things and going so many places, your mind starts to change. It starts to forget things, like it's running out of space and pushing out all the old stuff," he looked at her closely and could tell she was listening as her breathing returned to normal. He leaned in a bit, "You've got to remember things like that," he said. "Hold onto them for as long as you can before they all slip away."

The silence was deafening and Ali looked scared. "I don't want to forget," she frowned. "I don't want to forget my parents."

"As long as you're with us, you'll always have those memories somewhere," Jack told her quietly. "Tooth has all your baby teeth. Memories of your childhood – of your parents – are locked away inside those teeth, so they will never fade. They will always be there."

She sniffed again. Not once did Jack ever think he could sound so wise. Look at him, acting all grown up. North would be proud.

"If you forget—_when_ you forget, no matter how long it takes, however long from now that is, you can always go back to them."

She turned to look at him then, eyes shimmering and sparkling the most vibrant shade of green with the upmost childlike hope. He had never felt as old as he did in that moment, returning her gaze. She looked so innocent, and for some strange reason, some part of him wanted to protect that innocence. It was the same look he saw in the children he promised to look after.

And like hell was he going to let that part of her fade.

* * *

Ali allowed his words to sink in as she let her eyes glide over his young face. His cool, wintery presence sent chills across her skin, but it didn't make her feel cold. Somehow, it was comforting.

She mustered up a hoarse, "Thank you, Jack."

Considering the circumstances, he shouldn't have looked so surprised. But for some reason he did, like he never expected to hear a 'thank you' from someone. Like he hadn't heard one before. And that didn't sit well with her.

"Really," she insisted, placing a warm hand over the icy one he still kept on her shoulder. "I appreciate you coming to talk to me, even though I probably sounded mean back there," she paused. "It's going to take me a while to come to terms with it," she looked away for a moment, spotting an elf hopping down the end of the corridor with a large package in its tiny arms. "It still seems so unreal to me, like it's a really bad dream that I can't wake up from."

She felt Jack stiffen at her words, but he didn't say anything. She squeezed his hand and right away he squeezed back. "But still, thank you."

Looking back at him, she could tell that her gratitude was beginning to sink in as he smiled gently and shrugged modestly. "Well, you're welcome," she made an effort to smile back and his thumb caressed her shoulder again. "And hey, I know you're curious about who you are and why you're here. And I know it sucks that we don't have the answers right now," he tossed her a remorseful look. "But don't worry, we will."

Ali appreciated the boy's optimism.

It would take her a while to accept her new life, she knew, but befriending Jack Frost, she felt, was a pretty good start.


End file.
